Celebrate the season with these SunButter Oatmeal Chocolate Christmas Trees. They're festive, simple to make, naturally sweetened, and perfect for holiday gifting or adding festive flair to your cookie platter.
I adore recipes that are as fun to make as they are to eat, and these SunButter tree-shaped treats fit the bill. Soft, slightly sweet, and full of texture from the oats, they're instantly festive when coated in matcha white chocolate. Cutting them into tree shapes and drizzling with extra white chocolate is such a simple way to make them festive, and kids and adults alike always get excited when they see them served on a cookie plate. Watching everyone light up when they see these on the table is my favorite part.
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Ingredients To Make White Chocolate Trees:
You don't need any specialty ingredients to make a super festive treat. You can buy everything at local grocery stores, and I'll leave links to some of my favorite brands so you can buy them online.
- Rolled Oats: They form the hearty base of the oatmeal filling, giving the trees structure and texture. Use leftovers to make my High Protein Gingerbread Overnight Oats.
- SunButter (Organic Sunflower Seed Butter): This is one of my favorite pantry staples to make both savory and sweet recipes. Here, it adds creaminess, natural sweetness, and a nutty flavor to the cookie dough.
- Agave Nectar (or Maple Syrup / Honey): It sweetens the base naturally while helping bind the ingredients together.
- Vanilla Bean Powder: Provides warm, aromatic sweetness that enhances the sunflower flavor. Use any leftovers to make my Almond Flour Sugar Cookies (enter link once published).
- Sea Salt: Balances the sweetness and rounds out the flavors in the filling.
- Vegan White Chocolate: Used for the coating, giving the Christmas tree treats a smooth, sweet finish, and for drizzling or decorating the trees with a festive detail.
- Matcha Powder: It's mixed into part of the melted white chocolate for a vibrant, festive green color and a subtle earthy flavor, similar to my Creamy Vegan Matcha Overnight Oats.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Them:
- Make the Filling: Transfer the oats to a large bowl and stir in SunButter, agave nectar, vanilla bean powder, and sea salt. Mix until a thick, uniform dough forms.
- Shape the Dough: Roll or press the mixture between sheets of parchment paper to about ½-1 inch thick.
- Cut the Trees: Use a tree-shaped cookie cutter to cut out as many trees as possible. Gather any scraps, re-roll, and cut until all the dough is used.
- Prepare the Chocolate Coating: Melt the vegan white chocolate. Reserve a small portion for decorating. Mix matcha powder into the remaining white chocolate until smooth and evenly green.
- Coat the Trees: Dip each oatmeal tree into the matcha white chocolate or drizzle it over the top. Place on parchment to set.
- Decorate: Use the reserved plain white chocolate to drizzle festive patterns or details over each tree. Let the chocolate fully harden before serving.
- Serve or Store: Enjoy immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for later. They're a perfect sweet addition to my Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board!
Top Tips:
- Use Parchment Paper: Roll and cut the dough between sheets of parchment to prevent sticking and make cleanup easy.
- Chill If Needed: If the dough feels too soft, refrigerate briefly to make cutting and handling easier.
- Even Coating: Work in small batches when dipping in chocolate to keep the coating smooth and avoid clumping.
- Decorating: Reserve some plain white chocolate for drizzling over the trees for a festive touch.
- Spacing: Lay the trees on the parchment, leaving space between them so they don't stick together as the chocolate sets.
Variations And Substitutions:
- Sweetener Alternatives: Swap agave nectar with maple syrup or honey (for non-vegan) if you prefer.
- Nut/Seed Butter: While this recipe uses SunButter, you can try almond butter or cashew butter for a slightly different flavor. Note that it won't be nut-free anymore.
- Chocolate Options: Use dark chocolate (especially if you have leftovers from making my Healthy Dark Chocolate Caramel Sunbutter Cups) instead of white chocolate for a rich, classic flavor, or add cocoa butter for extra sheen.
- Matcha-Free Version: Omit the matcha powder and keep the white chocolate plain for simple white chocolate trees.
- Shapes: Instead of Christmas trees, use any favorite cookie-cutter shape to suit the season or occasion.
- Add Toppings: Sprinkle with festive sprinkles, crushed nuts, or smaller pretzels (or pretzel sticks) before the chocolate hardens for extra texture and visual appeal.
Storage:
- Fridge: Store the finished trees in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezing: Freeze the trees for longer storage. Place in a single layer on parchment paper, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. Thaw before serving.
Equipment Needed:
- Large Bowl: For combining the oats with SunButter, sweetener, and seasonings.
- Small Bowl: To reserve plain white chocolate for drizzling or decorating.
- Rolling Pin: For rolling the dough evenly between sheets of parchment paper.
- Tree-Shaped Cookie Cutter: To cut the oatmeal base into festive shapes.
- Baking Sheet or Parchment-Lined Surface: For assembling and setting the coated trees.
- Microwave-Safe Container or Double Boiler: For melting the white chocolate smoothly.
- Spoon or piping bag: For spreading and drizzling chocolate over the trees.
Recipe FAQs:
No, matcha is optional. You can keep the white chocolate plain, decorate it with festive sprinkles, or mix of Christmas sprinkles.
Absolutely! Use a smaller cookie cutter to create bite-sized trees, perfect for gift boxes or party platters.
Yes! The base is naturally gluten-free as long as your oats are certified gluten-free.
More Amazing Vegan Sunbutter Desserts To Try Next:
If you try this Easy Sunbutter Oatmeal Chocolate Christmas Tree Recipe, I'd really love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I'd also really appreciate a recipe card rating! Thank you for supporting The All Natural Vegan!
Easy SunButter Oatmeal Chocolate Christmas Trees
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Oatmeal SunButter Filling:
- 2 ¾ cups rolled oats
- 1 cup SunButter Organic Sunflower Seed Butter
- ½ cup agave nectar or maple syrup or honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
For the Matcha White Chocolate Coating:
- 16 oz vegan white chocolate melted
- 1-2 tablespoon tablespoons matcha powder
- ¼ cup vegan white chocolate reserved, for drizzling/decorating
Instructions
Mix the Filling:
- Transfer the oats to a bowl and add the SunButter, agave nectar, vanilla bean powder, and sea salt.
- Stir until a thick, uniform dough forms.
Shape the Dough:
- Roll the mixture out between two sheets of parchment paper to ½-1 inch thick, or press it evenly into a parchment-lined brownie dish.
Cut the Christmas Trees:
- Use a tree-shaped cookie cutter to cut out as many trees as possible.
- Gather and re-roll scraps until all the mixture is used.
Prepare the Chocolate Coating:
- Melt the vegan white chocolate.
- Transfer ¼ cup to a small bowl and set aside for decorating.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons matcha powder to the remaining melted chocolate and stir until smooth.
Coat the Trees:
- Dip each oatmeal tree into the matcha white chocolate or drizzle it over the top.
- Place coated trees on parchment to set.
Decorate:
- Use the reserved plain white chocolate to drizzle over the trees for a festive design.
- Allow the chocolate to fully harden before serving.
Serve or Store:
- Enjoy immediately, or store in the fridge for up to 1 week (or freeze for longer).
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